Means for simultaneously covering or uncovering both ends of a gun telescope

ABSTRACT

A pair of protective caps are hingedly mounted on the respective ends of a gun telescope and are interconnected through an intermediate operating member so that they move in unison in opposite directions, thus both either opening or closing simultaneously. The operating member is manually actuated by means of a simple finger lever enabling the user of the gun to swing the protective caps to open position immediately preparatory to firing the gun and subsequently to close the caps whenever the gun is momentarily not in use.

iJnited States Patent [191 Mills July 17, 1973 MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY COVERING OR UNCOVERING BOTH ENDS OF A GUN TELESCOPE [76] Inventor: Marvin Mills,3321 S.E. Third Avenue, Camas, Wash. 98607 [22] Filed: Feb. 14, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 225,756

[52] U.S. Cl. 350/65, 33/244 [51] Int. Cl. G02b 23/16 [58] Field of Search 350/65; 33/244, 245

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,657,465 11/1953 Lloyd 350/65 X 2,782,510 2/1957 Kramm 350/65 X 3,465,446 9/1969 Cox 350/65 X I FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,919,407 10/1970 Germany 350/65 Primary Examiner-David H. Rubin Attorney-L. R. Geisler [57] ABSTRACT A pair of protective caps are hingedly mounted on the respective ends of a gun telescope and are interconnected through an intermediate operating member so that they move in unison in opposite directions, thus both either opening or closing simultaneously. The operating member is manually actuated by means of a simple finger lever enabling the user of the gun to swing the protective caps to open position immediately preparatory to firing the gun and subsequently to close the caps whenever the gun is momentarily not in use.

1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures.

MEANS FOR SIMIJLTANEOIJSLY COVERING OR UNCOVERING BOTH lENlDS OF A GUN TELESCOPE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The desirability of having the ends of a gun telescope covered or protected while the gun is not in use is wellknown, and particularly is this desirable with hunters guns since the carrying of the gun by the hunter through underbrush often results not only in the collection of dust and dirt in the ends of the telescope and on the lens of the same but sometimes results in the lens being scratched. Accordingly, it has been customary to provide such gun telescopes with removable protecting end caps which can be placed over the ends of the telescope and then manually removed preparatory to using the gun. However, the use of such end caps is troublesome, and often becomes such an inconvenience by causing a loss of time at the wrong moment that the hunter may prefer to carry the caps in his pocket and keep the ends of the telescope uncovered while actually engaged in hunting. The object of the present invention is to provide protective shields or covers permanently mounted on the ends of the telescope and so arranged and controlled that they can instantly and S1- multaneously be moved from closed to open position, or vice versa, with a minimum of effort by the user of the gun.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A protective cap of the proper size to fit over the corresponding end of a gun telescope is hingedon each end of the telescope and is so mounted that it can be swung down to closed position completely closing off and protecting that end of the telescope, or swung up to open position to allow unemcumbered view through that portion of the telescope. The two caps are connected to a common rotatable member centrally mounted on the telescope and their connections are so arranged that partial rotation of the rotatable member will cause both caps to move simultaneously from closed to open position and partial rotation of the connecting member in the opposite direction Wlll cause both caps simultaneously to move from open position back to closed position. The operation or partial rotation of the rotatable member is performed by a simple finger lever which the user of the gun can manipulate easily and quickly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawing:

FIG. I is a side elevation of a telescope shown mounted in place on a gun and equipped with the protective caps at the respective ends, both caps being shown in full lines in closed position and in broken lines in open position, the rear cap, in closed position being shown also partly in sectional elevation for clarity;

FIG. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of FIG. ll drawn to a larger scale, with the body of the telescope omitted for clarity, and showing in detail the construction and mounting of the central operating assembly with WhlCl'l both caps are connected and through which both are simultaneously operated;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. I showing in detail the hinge mounting for the cap at the rear end of the telescope, the mounting for both caps being similar;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view on line d4l of FIG. ll illustrating the shape of that portion of the outer wall of the cap, both caps being similar in shape but differing in size to correspond to the outer diameter at the respective ends of the telescope; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section taken on line 5-5 of FIG. ll, drawn to a slightly larger scale.

Referring first to FIG. l, the telescope, indicated in general by the reference 111, is shown mounted in the customary manner on the gun barrel by a pair of clamps I2, 12, a portion of the gun 10 being shown in broken lines. A pair of protective caps 13 and M are hingedly mounted above the forward and rear ends of the telescope II respectively. Both caps are similar in shape but differ in size to correspond to the difference in the outer diameters of the two ends of the telescope, as previously mentioned. Both caps are preferably made of metal, but could also be made of plastic or any other suitably strong or tough material. The special shape of the caps will be referred to later.

The caps I3 and 14 are each formed with an integral hinged ear I3 and I4 respectively, extending upwardly and inwardly from the top of the cap. A clamp support bracket for the rear cap 14 comprises a clamping element 15 having the customary semi circular portions extending around the body of the telescope in the location shown in FIG. ll, these two clamping elements being held together by screws at top and bottom. However, one of the clamping elements is formed with an integral channel-shaped arm extending rearwardly from the top of the clamp to the end of the telescope to provide a supporting hinge mounting for the ear 14' of the cap I l. The top of the rear end of this channelshaped arm 16 is cutaway to accommodate the ear 14 of the cap I41 (see also FIG. 3), which ear 14' is received between the sides of the end of the sides of the arm 116. A mounting member 17 for the car 14' and cap M extends through the sides of the arm I6, as shown in FIG. 3, and is rotatably supported therein.

The mounting member 17 has a central square portion 17' which fits into an aperture of corresponding square cross section extending through the ear 1 5'. The other portions of the member I7 are formed as shown in FIG. 3 and include an integral crank arm portion I8 which carries a lug I9 secured on a pivotally mounted pin 20.

One end of an operating rod 22 is adjustably connected in the lug I9 by a clamping screw ZI. The inner or opposite end of the rod 22 is formed with a bend 22 at its tip which extends through an aperture in a rotatably mounted disc 23 and this end is capped in order to keep it from slipping out of its aperture in the disc 23.

The hinge mounting for the forward cap 113 of the telescope is quite similar except that the mounting is clamped on the telescope near the corresponding or forward end of a set telescope since no provision is required for telescope adjustment at this end of the telescope. A pair of semi-circular cramping elements 24,24 (FIGS. 1 and 5), fastened together at the bottom by a screw 25, have their top ends 24' extending upwardly in parallel spaced arrangement secured together by an elongated screw 26 with an interposed spacer 27. The ear I3 of the cap 113 is pivotally mounted between these extending top ends 24' of the clamping elements 24, being mounted by means ofa mounting member 28 similar to the mounting member I? for the rear cap 14 previously described. As shown in FIG. 5, this mounting member 28 has a squared central portion 28 which fits into a square aperture extending through the ear 13'. The member 28 similarly has an integral crank arm 29 which carries a rotatably mounted lug 30 in which the forward end of a rod 31 is adjustably secured by a clamping screw 32. The opposite or rear end of this rod 31 is formed with a right angle bend 31' at its tip which extends through an aperture in the disc 28, this aperture in the disc 23 being diametrically opposite the aperture through which the corresponding end of the rod 22 extends, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The disc 23 has a central cylindrical lug 23' (FIG. 2) which is rotatably supported in a bearing 32 carried by an arm 33 on a clamp bracket 34. The clamp bracket 34, together with a companion clamp element 35, are secured on the body of the telescope by a pair of upper and lower screws 36 and 37. The lug 23 is formed with a screw-threaded extension 38 by means of which a finger lever 39 is rigidly secured to the lug 23 and disc 23.

As previously mentioned, the inner ends 22' and 31' of the rods 22 and 31 are mounted diametrically opposite each other on the disc 23. Thus, manual movement of the finger lever 39, imparting partial rotation to the disc 23, will cause the rods 22 and 31 to move in opposite directions simultaneously, and thus cause the two protecting caps 13 and 14 to swing upwardly from closed to open position, or, if the lever is moved in the opposite direction, to cause both caps to swing down to closed position. Consequently, with both caps in normal protecting, closed position, the user of the gun can instantly open both caps by a quick finger pressure on the lever 39.

Although in the carrying out of the present invention the shape of the protecting caps could be varied, as long as the caps, when in closed position, completely cover their respective ends of the telescope, it has been found advantageous and preferable to shape the caps in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. Thus the end of each cap is cylindrical withan internal diameter approximately equal to the external diameter of the corresponding end of the telescope. However, the end edge of the cylindrical wall of each cap at top and bottom is cut away similarly, as shown by the bottom edge portion 40 of the cap in FIG. 4, and the two intervening side portions of the cylindrical wall of the cap are curved in the opposite direction as shown at 41 and 42 for the caps 13 and 14 respectively in FIG. 1. This formation of the cylindrical walls of the caps enables the caps to swing freely up and down without interference and enables the caps to extend for some distance around the outside of the end of the telescope when in closed position, thereby insuring complete closure when in closed position without having the sides of the caps protruding away from the body of the telescope. When the caps are in raised position their shape also aids in sheltering the ends of the telescope from rain.

The inner surface of the cylindrical wall of each cap is preferably formed with an inward taper, as shown in 43 of the wall of the cap 14 in FIG. 1, so as to facilitate the fitting of the cap tightly over the end of the telescope in closed position. Also preferably, although not necessarily, the cylindrical wall is formed with an opposite taper on the outer surface, as shown at 44 in FIG. I. Preferably, in addition, a cushioning seal ring is mounted in the end of each cap, as shown at 45 in FIG. 1. Each of the caps has a pair of bottom apertures 48 to serve as air vents in the rapid closing of the caps and also to allow any water which might collect in the telescope end to drain out.

Other modifications and variations in the shape and construction of the caps and in their mountings would be possible without departing from the principle of the invention. The important feature is the fact that both caps are operated simultaneously with a minimum expenditure of time and effort on the part of the user of the gun.

The arrangement, construction and mounting of the caps, as illustrated and described, are such that they may be added to a standard type of gun telescope at nominal cost and without any change in the telescope itself or its mounting on the gun. If the customary sight on the top of the ordinary telescope, such as that indicated at 46 in FIG. 1, would interfere with the rod 31 operating the outer end cap, all that is necessary is to provide adequate offset portion in this rod 31 (such as that indicated at 47 in FIG. I) to enable the rod 31 to operate without interference by the stationary sight.

I claim:

1. A gun telescope of the type described having a forward lens portion and an adjustable rear end lens portion, a pair of movable caps adapted to protect the forward and rear ends of the telescope respectively, similar hinge mountings for said caps so arranged as to enable said caps to be raised to open position or lowered to closed position when desired, clamping means on the forward end lens portion of said telescope, the hinge mounting for the cap for said forward said lens portion supported by said clamping means, clamping means on the telescope body located forwardly from the adjustable rear end lens portion, an arm extending rearwardly from said latter mentioned clamping means adjacent to and along the top of said rear end lens portion to the rear end of the telescope, the hinge mounting for the rear end cap supported entirely by said arm, whereby said rear end lens portion of the telescope can be adjusted without interference from said latter mentioned cap hinge mounting, a crank arm in each hinge mounting secured to the respective cap, third clamping means centrally located on the telescope body, a bracket arm on said third clamping means, a disc rotatably carried by said last mentioned bracket arm, a pair of rods having their inner ends connected with said disc at diametrically opposite points on said disc, the outer ends of said rods adjustably attached to the crank arms in said hinge mountings respectively, whereby partial rotation of said disc will cause said protective caps to move simultaneously in opposite directions, and a finger lever attached to said disc for operating said disc and there with said protective caps. 

1. A gun telescope of the type described having a forward lens portion and an adjustable rear end lens portion, a pair of movable caps adapted to protect the forward and rear ends of the telescope respectively, similar hinge mountings for said caps so arranged as to enable said caps to be raised to open position or lowered to closed position when desired, clamping means on the forward end lens portion of said telescope, the hinge mounting for the cap for said forward said lens portion supported by said clamping means, clamping means on the telescope body located forwardly from the adjustable rear end lens portion, an arm extending rearwardly from said latter mentioned clamping means adjacent to and along the top of said rear end lens portion to the rear end of the telescope, the hinge mounting for the rear end cap supported entirely by said arm, whereby said rear end lens portion of the telescope can be adjusted without interference from said latter mentioned cap hinge mounting, a crank arm in each hinge mounting secured to the respective cap, third clamping means centrally located on the telescope body, a bracket arm on said third clamping means, a disc rotatably carried by said last mentioned bracket arm, a pair of rods having their inner ends connected with said disc at diametrically opposite points on said disc, the outer ends of said rods adjustably attached to the crank arms in said hinge mountings respectively, whereby partial rotation of said disc will cause said protective caps to move simultaneously in opposite directions, and a finger lever attached to said disc for operating said disc and therewith said protective caps. 